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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. perch — for a bird
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rest — what's left
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — for catching
  6. net — in sport
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. field — for sport
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bulb — for light
  15. field — farmland
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — after costs
  18. field — a subject
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rest — a break
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com